Emeralds and Rubies
by TrademarK612
Summary: Zuko has regained his honor. With the Avatar out of the way, his nation has no worries. The comet will soon be here, and his father will use it to wipe the remaining nations off the map. There lies the problem. Zuko is caught between his country and what he knows is right. Can his best friend open his eyes to what needs to be done? ZukoxMai OCxToph
1. Chapter 1

This is my first full length story. I hope you guys enjoy it. Reviews are much appreciated. I will do my best to keep my comments before and after each chapter to a minimum.

**Me: Ha-ha! I own Avatar!**

**My sanity: He doesn't… don't listen to him.**

Sunlight pierced through a small gap in a pair of velvet curtains. The ray stretched across the dark room, landing on the large bed in the middle. As the sun slowly began to rise, the beam's length grew. It found the scarred face of the bed's current occupant. The unwelcome light caused the man to stir. Not quite ready to get out of bed, he rolled slightly so the sun would no longer be on his eyes. Unfortunately, his movement shook the woman next to him from her sleep. "Zuko?" the woman said sleepily. She opened her eyes and blinked several times. The man grunted in response, causing the woman's eye to twitch slightly. "If you're going to wake me up, then you're waking up as well," she shook the man, earning an agitated groan. As he slowly opened his eyes, he came face to face with the stare of the woman who woke him. He shifted his head to gaze over to the window, confirming it was the light that disturbed him first. He mentally cursed it before turning back to the same stare.

"Why'd you wake me up?" the man questioned.

"Because you woke me up," she countered, shrugging.

"I wanted to sleep in this morning," he rolled his head towards the ceiling and closed his eyes

"So did I, but you ruined that for me. So I figured it's only fair that I do the same," she smirked and the man chuckled.

"You're the worst Mai," he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer.

"Good morning Zuko," Mai cupped her hand over his cheek lovingly, turning his head towards her. Their lips met, both smiling into the kiss. They broke the kiss and Mai rested her head on his chest as they lay in warm embrace. She loved that her boyfriend was a fire bender. It was like having her own personal furnace. Zuko rested his chin on top of her head. Her hair smelled sweet and friendly, clashing with the cold, apathetic personality she projected.

"Your hair smells grea-"

"If you tell anyone, I will end you," Mai moved from the embrace and cut him off with a cold glare. Zuko gulped.

"I won't tell anyone. I promise," Zuko assured, hoping to keep himself from being 'ended', whatever the hell that meant. Sweet Agni, she could be scary when she felt like it.

"Ty Lee pushed me to use it. She said it would _brighten my aura_ or something," Mai sighed.

He took another whiff, "you should ask her for more. It's great." She scoffed at the idea and rolled her eyes, causing Zuko to chuckle. "So," Zuko said as he grunted and sat up, "What do you want to do today?" He draped an arm around her shoulders.

"Aren't you supposed to meet with Feren today?" Mai leaned into him.

Zuko's eyes widened, "Shit! I was supposed to meet him at sunrise!" He shot out of bed and ran towards the door, "he hates when people are late," he muttered. He opened the door and was met by a young woman standing just outside the door preparing to knock. She froze and her face turned beet red. Zuko looked at her, confused, until he looked at himself and took note of his state of dress… or lack thereof.

"He might be more upset if his best friend shows up in underwear," Mai quipped, still laying in bed, supporting her head on her elbow. She was fully amused by this situation. Normally, she'd be upset if someone was ogling her boyfriend, but she couldn't really blame the poor girl. If a well-cut man were to burst from the door she was in front of, wearing nothing but his underwear, she'd be hard-pressed for words too.

"I-I w-was sent by Feren t-to check on you," the messenger averted her gaze, staring at a random pattern on the wall.

"Tell him I am on the way. Sorry about that." Zuko said awkwardly. The woman nodded slightly and quickly walked down the hall, bumping into a maid as she made her way. Zuko closed the door and turned to see Mai covering her mouth and chuckling. "Oh please don't tell the girls."

"Not a chance."

* * *

Zuko, now appropriately clothed, was riding in a palanquin to the royal training ground. It was a short walk, but the servants had insisted, much to his annoyance, he not have to walk. It was one of few things he hated about being home. He missed the freedom to walk about where he pleased. What annoyed him more was that he knew Feren was going to give him shit for taking the palanquin. It certainly didn't help that he was already late. A sigh escaped him as he realized just how stressful this day would be.

"We have arrived, Prince Zuko," one of the palanquin bearers said, opening the shade and bowing. Zuko nodded, stepped out and began to survey the outside of the white stone training ground. Crimson walls surrounded the 100 by 200 yard training arena. The walls were decorated with two large, black dragon murals. The murals stretched along the front walls, with the heads of the dragons of the dragons breathing black fire towards the gated entrance. The arch above the gates had Chinese script above it that read "Ch'en Jung Royal Training Ground." Commoners were not allowed to use the grounds, only those of noble blood were given access. There was plenty of space for people to train, spar, and exercise. Smaller walls separated several different sections which had their own purposes. Leaning against the arch was Feren, clearly irritated by his friends tardiness.

"You know, Ko-Ko, you're just asking to get made fun of at this point." Zuko scowled at the name. Once Azula had started calling him Zu-Zu, it didn't take long for Feren to start calling him Ko-Ko. He had later restricted himself from using it unless he was frustrated or, in his words: "if the opportunity presented itself." Given the current situation, he couldn't truly be mad at him.

Feren pushed himself off the wall and stood up straight. He was an even 5 feet and 6 inches, with a healthy brown skin tone. He lacked any sort of facial hair and it didn't look like any was going to show up, much to his dismay. When he and Zuko were younger, Feren had always talked about how he was going to have an epic goatee that would make him the handsomest man the world had ever seen. The hair on top of his head was black and close-cropped. Rather than the fiery yellow eye color that was commonly associated with their nation, his were an onyx black that shined with fluctuating emotion and passion. Their current passion was that of a fairly annoyed teen, if the scowl on his face didn't give that away. Despite how lanky he was, he had an athletic build for a 15-year-old. He wore a tight-fitting, black sleeveless shirt that had a red trim on the seams. His long arms had lean, toned muscles that were more pronounced due to his arms being crossed at the moment. He had on black, loose-fitting pants for optimal movement that were held up by a red leather belt. Attached to the belt on the left side was a medium length katana in a custom black sheath decorated with a golden fire pattern he designed himself. It was one of his favorite possessions. Finally, on his feet were shoes similar to Zuko's, except his were black with a gold trim rather than red. "So," Feren's expression changed to a confident grin, "ready to get your ass kicked? Again."

A similar smirk found its way to Zuko's face, "If I'm not mistake, the record between us is 26 wins for me and 20 for you." Zuko would probably never admit it, but in all honesty, Feren was a far better swordsman than he was. The only reason he had won more was because of the difference in height and the extra point of attack, thanks to his skill with dual swords. The height gave him an advantage in leverage that immediately put Feren on the defensive. If he were to admit this, he'd never hear the end of it. Sometimes, it felt like he was holding back. Those 20 wins were 20 times that he had been overwhelmed. 20 times he had faced a different, more ferocious Feren. For what reason he held back, he would never know, but today, that was going to change.

"Hey, I'm on a win streak right now." Feren brought Zuko out of his thoughts as they began to walk to find an open training ground. Zuko raised an eyebrow at his friend's statement.

"One win doesn't count as a win streak."

"It does if it's the beginning of the greatest streak ever." Zuko couldn't help but laugh at him. As great a swordsman as he was, he was quite the goof, a trait that had been apparent ever since they were kids.

"Is that so?" Feren lightly shoved him, the scowl returning to his face. Zuko laughed again as he stumbled and caught himself. Feren's scowl was just for show. On the inside, Feren was as happy as could be. Zuko was his rival, his best friend, the closest thing he had to a brother, and the person he trusted the most in the world. He and Zuko had been competing for as long as he could remember. While they were evenly matched in most things, when it came to fighting, he knew he was better. For Zuko's sake, though, he held back just a little. He was well aware of the gap between him and his sister, Azula. The girl was a prodigy in every sense of the word, and she never missed out on the chance to run it in her brother's face. He felt that if his friend won against someone else, it would keep him from feeling weak or inferior. The way he clawed and fought was what made Zuko a warrior and what Feren admired about him the most. The two laughing friends arrived at their favorite section, the one farthest from the entrance. The guard nodded at them, recognizing the regulars and opened the iron gates. They walked to the middle of the 20 by 20 yard square and began to stretch lightly.

"Should we do just swordplay or make it interesting with some bending?" Feren asked, drawing the katana from its sheath and swinging it around to loosen up his arms. The combination of swordsmanship and fire bending was one aspect that drew Feren towards the art altogether. That, and swords were just straight up awesome.

"Let's go with just swordplay for today. It'll give you a better chance of coming out on top," Zuko smiled as he drew his dual swords and rested into a stance where his left arm was extended across his body and the right arm resting his sword on his shoulder. Feren twirled his own sword is his right had a few more times before he stopped and held his katana backwards. The end of the hilt was pointed towards the ground, while the blade extended behind him, parallel to his arm. It was a style and stance created entirely by himself. It gave him much more leverage and momentum in his swings and flourishes. He crouched and extended his free hand in front of him, palm out towards his opponent.

A referee, who stood off to the side, stepped forward. They liked their matches to be official, as well as have someone to tell them when to stop so that they wouldn't seriously injure each other. Before the referee started the match, Zuko narrowed his eyes and spoke seriously, "Don't hold back." Feren's eyes widened and then he smiled and nodded. Perhaps his friend had finally caught on.

"FIGHT!"

**Post-chapter comments**

Next chapter will be my first fight scene and more story. See you in the comments.

By the way, it's pronounced feh-rin

~TM612


	2. Chapter 2

I'm so sorry. Between college, work, and personal issues, this chapter took a lot longer than I intended.

Anyways, Happy belated Thanksgiving. Enjoy.

**Me: So when did we lose the rights to Avatar?!**

**Sanity: *sigh* We never had them in the first place**

"FIGHT"

As soon as the words hit the air, Feren went on the offensive. He jolted towards Zuko,stutter stepping into an overhead swing. Zuko blocked the swing with both swords, almost buckling at the power. 'Whoa. Nice to see he means business,' Zuko thought to himself. He regained his footing and pushed his opponent off, charging forward and swinging his right sword at Feren's chest. He blocked and Zuko smiled, 'Gotcha.' He launched his left sword at the katana wielder's unprotected midsection. Feren's eyes widened and he quickly pushed himself away from Zuko to avoid being cut in half. His right pant leg was sliced open but his skin was intact.

"You bastard, how in Agni's name am I gonna fix this?!" Feren yelled angrily, tugging exaggeratedly at the new hole.

Zuko shrugged, "I'm sure you'll figure something out." Feren scowled as they both relaxed back into their stances and continued the fight. This time, Feren swung upwards; the blade kicking up sparks as it contacted the stone floor. Zuko spun to the left and used the momentum to swing again at Feren's waist. He spun himself and blocked with a downward swing. Continuing the spin, he twisted into a roundhouse and reversed his grip to hold the katana properly for a final spin ending with a blocked stab at the prince's chest. Zuko pushed the blade away followed by a pair of slashes with from both swords. The assault continued with intense, precise swings from all directions. Each consecutive swing pushed Feren back further until he found himself pressed against the wall, barely blocking and dodging the attacks.

"Alright. Time to take over," the katana master spoke out loud. He ducked under a swing and stepped into Zuko's reach. The scarred young man was almost taken off his feet from the powerful shove to his chest. Taking advantage of his opponent's imbalance, Feren launched his own series of swipes. Zuko could barely keep up with the seemingly never-ending strikes. His clothes were being torn to shreds with every missed block and sloppily dodge. He thought, though, that he should have been finished after initially being thrown off-balance.

"Not holding back, are you?" The prince asked as he stumbled away from the edge of the katana once again. The assaulter smiled and spun into a powerful swipe intended to take Zuko's head off his shoulders. He stopped mere inches from his friend's neck. The near decapitated teen's eyes widened at the speed as well as the control that could have killed him as well as what let him keep his head.

"Nope," Feren grinned and hooked his foot on the inside of his opponent's leg and pushed outward, leaving Zuko's legs split wide, and his torso defenseless to the left-handed fist that was jammed into his stomach. He doubled over and gasped for air, supporting himself with his swords. Feren took a step back, waiting for Zuko to start lifting himself up. Deciding to finish the fight, he stepped into a savage side kick to the recovering teen's chest. The blow sent him rolling head over heels with his swords skidding back next to him. The referee rushed over to check on the sprawled form of the prince. Feren casually walked over and crouched down on one knee. "Sorry about that," he said sheepishly, extending his hand. Zuko nodded to the referee, signifying he was okay and grabbed the offered hand of his friend.

"Next time I say don't hold back," he grunted as Feren pulled him to his feet and wrapped an arm around the shoulders of the man who effectively knocked the wind out of him, "please hold back."

Feren chuckled, "Will do. Come on, let's get out of here."

* * *

Now breathing properly and wearing a new set of clothes, Zuko and Feren walked around the city, looking for something to do. "So then what happened?" Zuko sputtered out between heavy laughter.

"So at this point, I'm more impressed than I am mad at her. I've been trained to have reflexes as fast as lightning and hands even faster but here I am, chasing Senna all over the mansion." Feren pointed to his left arm, "She damn near made me cripple myself when I was chasing her through the library. When I finally cornered her in my room, I thought 'Alright, it's over.' So, when I walk toward Senna to pick her up, she darts in between my legs at the last second. I just stood there in complete denial at the fact that I fell for the oldest Fire Ferret trick in the book." Feren shook his head, amused with his pet's antics.

"When did you manage to catch her?" Zuko said, or at least that was what Feren was able to piece together from the jumbled noises coming from his friend's rampant laughter. Zuko had to support himself on the side of a nearby building, not used to such a level of hysterics. Feren chuckled as he waited for the giggle fit to pass. After another minute or so, he calmed down to a reasonable level.

"After another 5 minutes of stumbling around trying to catch her, I just gave up and went to my room and took a nap." Then, Feren threw his hands in the air, "But when I woke up, I find her fast asleep on my chest as if nothing had ever happened." He let his arms fall back to his sides, followed by a frustrated sigh.

"The mighty Feren, master swordsman, outclassed by a ferret," Zuko joked, now capable of coherent speech, "that's one for the books."

"Oh fuck you."

"I'm starving," Zuko completely ignored him, looking up and down the long road, "You won today, so you choose and I'll pay."

Feren snorted, "You act like you're paying out-of-pocket. The royal budget is paying, not you. You're a damn prince, you basically eat for free." The pair walked down the road to get a better idea of what their options were. "We're going here," Feren pointed to a small wooden shop.

Zuko raised an eyebrow, "What is this place?" He'd never seen, much less, been to, a restaurant such as this. Its size made sense to why he had never noticed it though. Even though they often ate around the area, he couldn't recall ever seeing the building. Bar-style chairs ran along the walls leading to the counter, where a middle-aged man waited to take customers' orders.

"It's called a sub shop. They serve sandwiches on baguettes. You can pretty much put whatever you want on it. It sounds strange, I know, but just give it a chance," Feren added after seeing the skeptic look on his friend's face.

The two teens walked up to the counter and were greeted with a pleasant smile. "Welcome your highness, I am Lee Fil." The soft voiced man bowed respectfully and turned to Feren, "and how are you, Feren? What would you both like today?"

Being more familiar with the odd cuisine, Feren ordered first, "I'm doing great Lee. I'd like shredded goose duck and moo-sow steak with onion and tomatoes. I'd also like a side of cabbage stew."

"Unfortunately, we have no cabbage at the moment. The merchant I buy cabbage from has had his produce destroyed on another strange run-in. Something to do with a bald boy and three others," the man spoke with a confused look on his face.

"This boy, did he have tattoos?" Zuko asked, eyes wide with shock.

"I believe he mentioned something about tattoos or markings of some kind. Why, do you know them?"

"I think so," Zuko's face relaxed as he thought. The description fit the Avatar, and depending on how recent it was, it would mean that the Avatar had survived.

"Well tell them to knock it off," the man snapped Zuko out of his thoughts with the unexpected raise in volume, "what kind of rapscallions mess with cabbage merchants? I mean, honestly?!" While the man fussed on, a woman walked to the counter from the kitchen in the back.

"Excuse my husband," she smiled apologetically, "what would you like, your highness?" Zuko looked lost. He didn't see a menu to tell him what was available. After about a minute long blank stare, Feren finally spoke up.

"Oh, he's never been here Jia-Mo. Could you give him a little introduction?" Zuko thanked his friend as the woman perked up.

"Certainly! Well, as small as our restaurant may be, we have just about every type of meat available. We also have a wide assortment of breads to choose from. We pride ourselves as a diverse place of business, bringing together the flavors of the other nations." The woman's aura of happiness almost rivaled Ty-Lee's. The difference between the two was that Zuko felt welcomed instead of annoyed and overwhelmed by her presence.

"How are you able to afford all of this yet your business is run out of a run-down place like this?" Feren narrowed his eyes at the not so subtle insult from his friend. Was it really necessary to point out the flaws? Despite the disrespect, Jia-Mo maintained her smile.

"Lee comes from a noble family," she continued as if the prince's words had never been said, "his father was a politician and, in his youth, Lee served as an emissary to the other nations."

"Why downgrade to this?" Zuko questioned. The whole situation seemed like a step back to him.

"While traveling, he became exposed to the cuisine of the other nations and was inspired to open a restaurant of his own. When he returned to the mainland, he retired as an emissary and followed his new found dream." By the time Jia-Mo had finished, Lee had calmed down and stood proudly as he listened to his story of success.

Zuko nodded in respect. Only recently did he begin to understand that a person's destiny is decided by themselves, not someone else. "So now that you know the back story, could ya order now? I'm starving." Feren interjected, shattering his friend's respectful thought process.

"Yes." Zuko glared at Feren, who shrugged and motioned for him to order. "I'd like grilled elephant koi with roasted sea kumquats and curry powder," once he finished his order, he showed his Royal Insignia, charging the treasury. Feren rolled his eyes, his previous statement coming true.

"Excellent!" Jia-Mo smiled, "I will bring your meals to you shortly." The teens nodded and found a table near the entrance to seat themselves.

"So how'd you find this restaurant?" Zuko asked as he looked around once again. "It doesn't seem like a place a noble would go."

"Actually, Ty-Lee brought me here before she left with Azula and Mai to find you and Master Iroh."

"Aaw, last date before your girl has to leave?" Zuko teased with a very fake romantic expression.

"NO!" Feren repulsed at the thought, "for the last time, we're just friends! Ty-Lee and I have been friends longer than me and you. She's like family."

Zuko chuckled, "You have a weird way of showing love for your family."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You told me you two were all over each other when we were at that Ember Island party that one time!" Zuko knew it was a touchy subject, so it was all the more reason to bring it up and mess with his friend.

"And didn't talk for a month afterwards," Feren glared poison soaked daggers at the young prince, "it's one of the last things we talked about before she left, among other things."

"Such as?" Zuko scoffed.

"My burned and dishonored friend being sent on a fool's errand," Zuko matched his friend's previous glare with one of his own, accompanied by a stark middle finger. "Anyway," Feren decided to change the subject, "do you have any idea what this upcoming war meeting is gonna be about?"

"War meeting?" Zuko was perplexed, "what war meeting?"

"Agni's sake, how do you manage to stay so far out of the loop?" the young swordsman face palmed.

"Fuck you. What war meeting?" Zuko pressed.

Feren sighed, "Amidst another of your prodigal sister's attempts to get me to sleep with her, she mentioned the meeting and how she wanted me to escort her from the meeting to her bedroom for 'company'." Ever since they met, Azula had a colossal crush on Feren. Unlike most people with crushes though, she was not afraid to make it well known.

"Why wasn't I told about this!" Zuko fumed. He began to wonder if his father even wanted him there, considering the events of the previous meeting he had attended.

"Slow down there, Ko-Ko, don't kill the messenger," the already present scowl adorning the face of the misinformed prince deepened at the sound of his second least favorite nickname. "He probably just assumed you knew, then again, you are pretty dense."

"I will burn you," Zuko threatened, going as far as to make a flame in his palm and put it in Feren's face.

"Really wanna get your ass handed to you twice in one day?" Feren smirked, not flinching at the growing flame.

"Gentlemen," the tension was cut as Jia-Mo approached, "please enjoy your meals." She set down the plates in front of the two.

Zuko eyeballed the long sandwich, "It looks like a submarine," he lifted it like a foreign object and took a small bite. His expression was more than enough to tell Jia-Mo he enjoyed it, who smiled knowing that she had gained a new customer.

"That's why they call them subs Prince Dumbshit," Feren spoke like he was talking to a child. Zuko's scowl returned full force, unable to voice a comeback with a full mouth.

"Now Feren," Jia-Mo had her hands on her hips, "I don't think being behind bars would make your girlfriend very happy," she finished with a small grin and winked at Zuko.

"She is NOT my girlfriend!"

**Post-chapter comments**

I can't promise a defined frequency of updates, but once this semester ends, I will do my best to put out more for you all to read.

This chapter is dedicated to Jetslinger, the best writer on this site. He retired last month.

~TM612


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